Cotton-chopper.



No. 888,628. 1 PATENTBD MAR. 31,1908. W. B DAVIS.

J-GOTTON CHOPPER.

" APPLIGATION'FILED JAN. 2, 1908.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM B. DAVIS, OF POPES FERRY, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRANK M.

EWING, OF BOLINGBROKE, GEORGIA.

' SUTTON-CHOPPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 31, 1908.

Application filed January 2, 1908. Serial No. 409,006.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM B. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Popes Ferry, in the county of Monroe and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Cotton-Chopper, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to cotton choppers and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of its parts as hereinafter shown and described.

The object of the invention is to provide an implement adapted to be used for the purpose of thinning out cotton in a row and which is so constructed as to leave the lants left standing under favorable con itions whereby the growth and maturity of the same is facilitated.

The implement consists primarily of awheel of special construction which is. mounted in a frame and from which the frame depends. Said wheel is provided upon its periphery and at intervals with o enings through which spring actuated shie ds are adapted to operate. The rim of the Wheel is provided with a broad tread and is adapted to crush down the plant occurring at the intervals between the openings, and plows are provided for covering the prostrated plants, the said shields being adapted to prevent the lows from casting earth against the plants eft standing.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the cotton chopper. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one form of wheel used in the chopper. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the modified form of wheel used in the chopper, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the shield used in the chop- The implement consists of the wheel 1 which is provided at its periphery with a series of openings 2 spaced at equal intervals apart. Thes okes 3 connect the rim of the wheel 1 with t e hub 4 and the braces 5 connect the intermediate portions of the spokes 3 with the rim of the wheel 1. The axle 6 passes through the hub 4 and is journaled at 1ts ends in the brackets 7. The said brackets 7 support the frame 8 which is located below the center of the wheel 1 and consequently, is suspended from the same. The frame 8 is provided with handles 9 and plows 10. The

shields 11 are located in the openings 2 and are adapted to slide longitudinally therein.

The said shields have portions which form their lateral and rear sides and are open in front. The coil springs 12 are mounted u on the spokes 3 and engage the arms 13 attac ed to the shields and are under tension with a tendency to hold the shields away from the center of the wheel.

In the form of the invention as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the rim of the wheel 1 is shown as being circular, while in the form of the invention as shown in Fig. 3 the rim of the wheel 1 is shown as being polygonal with the openings 2 located at the apices of the angles. Either form of wheel rim may be employed as conditions may require as the angular rim will depress the earth to a greater extent about the plants left standing than the circular rim will for the reason that in order for the center of the wheel to pass over the apex while the latter is in contact with the ground the said center must be slightly elevated which is not the case where a circular rim is employed. In either instance the wheel rim is provided with a broad tread.

The operation of the implement is as follows :As it is drawn along a row of standing plants the rim of the wheel will come in contact with the plants at intervals and break them down while at other intervals the plants in the row will stand up through the openings 2 as they a proach the ground. The outer ends of the sliields ll'also come in contact with the surface of the ground and are pushed in toward the center of the wheel 1 against the tension of the springs 12. As the shields 11 move within the inner side of the wheel rim they protect the plants from earth which is cast up by the plows 10 while the plants that are broken down are covered by earth cast up by the said plows. As the o ening 2 through which the standin plants are located is about to leave the sai lants the tension of the spring 12 comes into lay and holds the outer end of the shiel i 11 in contact with the ground and thus the standing plants are protected. from the earth cast up by the plows 10 until the implement has passed entirely beyond the same. Thus, it will be seen that a sim le and an effective implement is provided or destroying plants at intervals a ong the row and leaving plants standing at other intervals under circumstances calculated to rapidly enable the same to advance to maturity.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is:

1. An implement of the character indicated comprising a wheel provided with o enings in its periphery, spring actuated s..ields located in said openings and plows carried by the implement.

2. An implement as described comprising a Wheel provided with openings in its peri hery, spokes leading from the center of the wlieel to the openings in the rim thereof, shields slidably mounted in the openings and being guided by the spokes, springs for operating the shields, and plows carried by the implement.

3. An implement as described comprising a. wheel provided with openings in its periph- WILLIAM B. DAV IS.

Witnesses:

J. M. FLETCHER, W. M. CLARK. 

